Angry Bunnies is very much an Angry Birds clone, something I perhaps dwelled too much on when reviewing the 3DS version.  Fresh off Flappy Bird “spin-off” Spikey Walls however, I feel I can be more tolerant of clone games so long as they have some redeeming factors?  So how does Angry Bunnies: Colossal Carrot Crusade fare on the Wii U?

The physics based gameplay presented here offers a measure of accessible enjoyment, though how much entertainment you’ll get from it depends on whether you’ve played the 3DS version or not.  All in all this is the same exact game, and that is a real let down.  I was hoping the Colossal Carrot Crusade moniker meant something fresh … some story, additional characters, new levels, etc.  But if you’d played the 3DS version, you’ve already played this Wii U port as it were.

That isn’t to say there haven’t been some minor changes made, although they are mixed.  Visually the 3D effects are gone, but the cute and colorful displays look even better in HD.  I noticed the backgrounds now have scrolling with clouds drifting by and such, and there’s other extra bits of detail here and there.  Curiously however, there have been some small cuts as well.  Certain background items (carrot cacti, bunny statues) are have gone missing for unknown reasons.

Other changes include some stronger sound effects (though music is still scant) and internet rankings.  The online leaderboards are a nice bonus, but I’m not sure how much this style of game really benefits by them – you compare collected carrots, but there’s sadly no score.  The GamePad controls fine, constantly showing the launching point while you can pan about the television, but this means true Off-TV play isn’t possible – what a disappointment!

Angry Birds: Colossal Carrot Crusade has sharper looks and online leaderboards, but it’s still too much the same game I’ve already played on 3DS.  With nearly a year between releases, I’m disappointed more wasn’t done here to improve things – even the same glitches from the 3DS version rear their head at times!  I say wait for a discount before considering picking this game up.  The $8.99 price seems high for what’s here, though it’ll likely follow the 3DS versions with sales dropping the price under $5.  While you wait, why not pick up Cypronia’s Color Zen?